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The Fascinating History of the Sumerians
A chronological survey of Sumer, from Ubaid villages and Uruk to the Early Dynastic city-states, Akkadian rule and the Ur III state, to its fade after about 2000 BCE.
Cradle of Civilization
Sumerian History
The story of Sumer from early villages to the Ur III state and its rediscovery.
The Ancient Sumerians: Cradle of Civilization
Why southern Mesopotamia, with its marshes, floodplain and Ubaid villages, became an early centre of settled society, and what pressures pushed it toward states.
The Ancient Sumerians: Pioneers of Writing and Governance
How Sumerian cities were run by ensis and lugals, temple estates, assemblies and scribes, and how record keeping let rulers manage land, labour and grain.
The Ancient Sumerians: The First City-Dwellers
What daily life was like in a Sumerian city: house plans, neighbourhoods, markets, crafts, canals, and the crowding and sanitation problems of early urban living.
The Ancient Sumerians: The First Civilization of Mesopotamia
The Early Dynastic city-states of Sumer, about 2900 to 2350 BCE, their rivalries such as Lagash and Umma, and the debate over what counts as a first civilization.
The Forgotten History of the Sumerians
How the Sumerians faded from memory for about two thousand years, then were recovered through digs at Telloh, Nippur and Ur and the decipherment of their language.
Unraveling the Mysteries of Ancient Sumeria
The open questions about Sumer: where the Sumerians came from, why their language is an isolate, and what scholars can and cannot conclude from the evidence.
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Mesopotamia Overview The land between the rivers and how its civilization began. Sumerian Cities Uruk, Eridu, Ur and Nippur, the first great cities. Writing and Law Cuneiform and the earliest law codes. Myth and Art Gods, creation stories, the Gilgamesh epic and Mesopotamian art. Sumerian Innovations Farming, mathematics, technology and legal practice in Sumer. Ancient Crafts and Technology Metals, glass, cloth, concrete and the tools that built early civilizations. Women and Children in the Ancient World Family life, education and the women who shaped ancient history. Archaeology Methods and Dating The scientific tools used to date and reconstruct the ancient past.